KEF Q50a Dolby Atmos Enabled Speaker Preview

Audio manufacturer KEF released their newest addition to the Q series line, the Q50a. The Q50a is a Dolby Atmos enabled two-way closed box speaker that sits atop your existing speaker. The speaker fires its sound upward, creating the vertical dimension programmed into any Dolby Atmos recording. Although we haven’t yet heard an Atmos-enabled speaker to match a discrete ceiling mounted speaker, for cinema rooms that just can’t mount speakers in the ceiling or high up on the front/back walls, a Dolby Atmos upfiring speaker is an alternative (albeit a last) choice.

See: What is a Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker

Like other KEF speakers, you’ll see their proprietary Uni-Q driver array. The signature innovation places the tweeter in the acoustic center of the midrange and bass cone. When properly set up, we’ve found KEF speakers with their Uni-Q driver array to have a detailed, accurate three-dimensional sound image, which is dispersed evenly throughout the room.   The newest iteration the Q Series Uni-Q driver includes a damped tweeter loading tube to help subdue extraneous noise from the back of the tweeter which should dramatically improve lower treble performance. A new low-distortion inductor on the crossover should also help to provide cleaner bass. The new speakers feature a single 5.25-inch bass and midrange driver that has a concentrically mounted tweeter in the middle of the cone.

This is Kef's second Atmos-enabled speaker release with their first being their R50 for $1200/pair meant to mate with their more upscale Reference speaker line up. With a 7” x 10” footprint it will have to fit the top of your speaker to deliver the immersive sound you’re looking for. These new Q50a Speakers from KEF will begin shipping in November for $500/pr.

What type of speakers are you using for height channels for Atmos and DTS:X immersive surround formats? Please share your thoughts in the related forum thread below.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.